Underwater adjustable apparatus and method



Feb. 4, 1969 H. H. HAYNES 3,425,230

UNDERWATER ADJUSTABLE APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Aug. 29, 1967 I INVENTOR. HARVEY H. HAYN ES ERVIN F. JOHNSTON ATTORNEY.

United States Patent M 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The description discloses an underwater adjustable apparatus which may include a payload or vehicle and a plurality of adjustable legs connected thereto. Each of the legs may include a hollow cylinder and a piston and rod means disposed therein for reciprocal movement. The rod extends through the bottom of the hollow cylinder and may be provided with a foot for contacting the water bottom. Upon descent of the payload or vehicle the hollow cylinder is open to the water environment thereby causing the piston rod to be fully extended. Just prior to the foot making contact with the ocean bottom the hollow cylinder is closed. After the 'foot comes to rest on the ocean bottom pressure within the hollow cylinder is relieved until the piston rod retracts within the hollow cylinder a desired distance. Selective pressure relieving of the adjustable legs will level or properly position the payload or vehicle on the water bottom.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes Without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

In the field of oceanography there has been an increasing need for leveling or positioning oceanographic equipment on the ocean bottom. This bottom is often irregular or sloping, thus requiring some planning before the equipment can be properly position thereon. The same need exists in regard to other. underwater payloads, such as underwater stations, as well as underwater vehicles which come to rest on the ocean bottom.

The leveling of an underwater station, whether it be manned or not, is particularly difiicult on sloping or irregular surfaces because of the size and weight involved. One method suggested for leveling such a station is to construct a level foundation on the sea floor and then place the station on the foundation. At great ocean depths this approach would be particularly difficult because of the massive amount of concrete that would have to be lowered and placed. Another approach that has been suggested is to make the station buoyant and then winch down the station to a heavy anchor and provide stabilizing fins to minimize lateral or rotational movement of the floating station. This latter approach is questionable since underwater currents will undoubtedly cause the buoyant station to become too unstable for its intended purposes.

There has been a need for a simple means and method for leveling a payload, such as an underwater station, on an irregular or sloping sea floor. The present invention has satisfied this need by providing an adjustable leg which may be mounted to the bottom side of the payload so that after coming to rest on the sea floor the leg can be adjusted to achieve proper leveling. The adjustable leg may include piston and rod means whichare disposed within a hollow cylinder. The rod slidably extends through the bottom end of the hollow cylinder and may be provided with a foot for engaging the ocean bottom. Upon lowering the station the hollow cylinder is open to the ocean environment so that sea pressure fully extends the 3,425,230 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 rod and foot combination. Just prior to the foot coming to rest on the ocean bottom the hollow cylinder is closed to the ocean pressure environment. After the station comes to rest on the ocean bottom the hollow cylinder is selectively opened to the ocean environment until the rod has been retracted within the hollow cylinder a desired degree. Selective adjustment of a series of adjustable legs connected to an underwater station enables quick and efficient leveling of the station on an irregular ocean bottom. If the station is to be relocated the same method would be employed, thus overcoming the problems of permanent or semi-permanent anchoring structures.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the formentioned disadvantages of prior art underwater positioning or leveling devices.

Another object is to provide an underwater leveling apparatus which can be more easily and efliciently leveled on an irregular ocean bottom.

A further object is to provide a more efiicient method of positioning a payload on the ocean bottom.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, somewhat schematic, of an underwater station which has been lowered by a surface ship and is now leveled upon an irregular ocean bottom; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view, somewhat schematic, of one of the adjustable legs which are shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like or similar parts throughout the several views there is shown in FIG. 1 a leveling apparatus 10 which has been lowered in the ocean and brought to rest on the sea floor by a cable 12 and winch 14 on a surface ship 16'. The leveling apparatus may include an underwater station 18 and a plurality of adjustable legs 20 which are connected to the station 18 so as to extend downwardly therefrom. As shown in FIG. 1 three such legs may be connected to the bottom side of the station 18. It is to be understood that the invention is not confined to a station but may include an underwater vehicle or other payload such as oceangraphic equipment.

After the leveling apparatus comes to rest on a sloping surface, as shown in FIG. 1, the legs 20 are respectively adjusted to properly level the station 18. As shown in FIG. 2 the adjustable leg 20 may include a hollow cylinder 22 which is connected to the bottom of the station 18 and may be sealed at its top thereto by any suitable means such as welding 24. A piston and rod means, such as a cylinder 26, may be slidably disposed within the hollow cylinder 22 for reciprocal action. The cylinder 26, which may be hollow if desired, is provided with a piston portion 28, and a rod portion 30 which terminates in a bottom end 32. The rod position 30 slidably extends through the bottom end of the hollow cylinder and may be sealed thereto by an O ring 34 which is recessed within the bottom of the hollow cylinder. A pad or foot comprising a fiat plate 36 may be pivotally connected tothe bottom end 32 of the rod. This connection may be accomplished by a ball and socket joint 38 which may comprise a ball which is rigidly connected to the rod end 32 and a socketed cylinder which is rigidly connected to the foot 36. This connection will enable the foot to pivot in any direction so as to rest flat against an irregular or sloping ocean bottom.

As stated herein and above the cylinder 26 is reciprocal within the hollow cylinder 22. The cylinder 26 is stopped in its upward movement by the bottom of the station 18 and it is necessary to provide means for stopping the cylinder in its downward movement. As shown in FIG. 2 the cylinder 26 may be of a slightly lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the hollow cylinder 22, so as to provide annular space 40 therebetween. In order to stop the cylinder 26 in its downward movement an upper portion thereof may be provided with an annular radial extension or catch 42 which is adapted to engage an annular radial extension or catch 44 which is provided at the bottom end of the hollow cylinder 22. When catches 42 and 44 engage one another only that portion of the cylinder 26 above the catch 42 will be located within the hollow portion of the cylinder 22. In this position the rod portion 30 of the cylinder 26 is fully extended in a down-ward direction from the hollow cylinder 22.

In order to provide for adjustment of the cylinder 26 between its upper and lower extremities I have provided a valve means 46 which opens into an upper portion of the hollow cylinder 22. This valve means opens and closes the hollow cylinder 22 to the outside water pressure environment at a space within the hollow cylinder 22 which is above the piston portion 28 of the cylinder 26. This may be accomplished by providing a short tube 48 which extends through the wall of the hollow cylinder 22 in an upper portion thereof, as shown in FIG. 2. I have found it desirable to provide slidable engagements between the annular catch 42 and the inner wall of the cylinder 22, and locate the opening of the tube 48 in a space above the annular catch 42 when the piston end 28 is in its uppermost engaging position with the bottom of the station 18. In this manner the piston end 28 and the top of the annular catch 42 may be exposed to the outside ocean pressure environment through the tube 48.

Operatively connected to the tube 48 is a valve, shown at 46, for selectively opening and closing the hollow cylinder 22 to the water environment. As shown in FIG. 1, the valves 46 may be remotely controlled from within the station by an operator (not shown). With such an arrangement the valves 46 may be solenoid operated and may be provided with electric wires 50 which extend through the bottom of the station 18 to a push-button control panel 52. The wires 50 are sealed in their extension through the bottom of the station 18, and the pushbuttons of panel 52 may be simple on and off switches. A power source (not shown) is connected to the control panel 52. It is obvious that there are many other ways in which the hollow cylinder '22 may be opened and closed to the outside ocean pressure environment.

In the operation of the present invention the underwater station 18 is lowered from the surface ship 16 by a winch 14. During the descent of the station 18 the valves 46 are maintained in an open position so that the hollow cylinder above the piston end 28 is subjected to the ocean pressure environment. The pressure within the hollow cylinder will then be at the same pressure as this outside environment. Just before the feet 36 come to rest on the ocean bottom the operator will push all three buttons of the conrol panel '52 to close the valves 46. This will close the hollow cylinder 22 to the outside ocean pressure environment. If the station comes to rest on a sloping ocean fioor, as shown in FIG. 1, it will first be in an inclined position since all of the legs 20 have been fully extended. At this time the operator will selectively push the switches on the control panel 52 until the appropriate legs 20 are sutficiently retracted to level the station 18, as illustrated in FIG. 1. With the sloping bottom of FIG. 1 the operator would have practically fully retracted the right leg 20, partially retracted the middle leg, and left the leg leg fully extended. The adjustment of the legs 20 may be accomplished by quickly turning the control panel switches on and off. In order to achieve such an adjustment it is important that the underwater adjustable apparatus 10 have a negative buoyancy so that pressure within the hollow cylinder is greater than the outside ocean pressure after the legs come to rest on the ocean bottom.

The method of the present invention for positioning a payload, such as the station 18, on the ocean bottom may comprise the steps of mounting the hollow cylinder 22 to the station in a generally downward direction and sealing the top thereof, as shown in FIG. 1; disposing the piston and rod means 26 within the hollow cylinder and slidably mounting the rod portion 30 through the bottom of the hollow cylinder; opening the hollow cylinder above the piston portion 28 to the outside environment and lowering the station 18 in the water so that water pressure of the piston acts to extend the rod portion 30 from the hollow cylinder 22; stopping the rod portion 30 when the piston portion 28 is in a lower portion of the hollow cylinder 22; closing the hollow cylinder 22 before the bottom of the rod portion 30 comes to rest on the ocean bottom; and selectively releasing pressure from the hollow cylinder 22 after the rod comes to rest on the ocean bottom so that the rod retracts within the hollow cylinder to properly position the station 18. The method may further include pivotally mounting the foot 36 to the bottom end 32 of the rod portion by any suitable means such as ball and socket means 38.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. An underwater leveling apparatus, having a negative buoyancy, comprising:

(a) a hollow cylinder which is sealed at a top end;

(b) piston and rod means disposed within said cylinder;

(c) the rod slidably extending through the bottom end of said hollow cylinder and having a bottom end located therebelow;

(d) valve means opening into an upper portion of said hollow cylinder for selectively opening and closing said hollow cylinder above the piston means to an outside water pressure environment;

(e) a foot; and

(f) ball and socket means connecting the bottom end of the rod to said foot, whereby upon selective control of the valve means said leg can be shortened a desired degree after the foot comes to rest on the water bottom.

2. An underwater leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including:

(a) a payload; and

(b) the hollow cylinder being connected to the payload.

3. A1 underwater leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

(a) the piston and rod means are a cylinder;

(b) said cylinder being of a smaller diameter than the internal diameter of said hollow cylinder; and

(c) stop means connected to an upper portion of said cylinder between the cylinder and the hollow cylinder for engaging the bottom of the hollow cylinder and limiting downward movement of said cylinder.

4. An underwater leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

(a) the stop means slidably engages the hollow cylinder and is located below the valve means When the cylinder is in the uppermost position within said hollow cylinder.

5. An underwater leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

(a) a payload; and

(b) the hollow cylinder being connected to the payload.

6. A method of positioning an underwater payload, having negative buoyancy, on a water bottom comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting a hollow cylinder to the payload in a generally downward direction and sealing the top thereof;

(b) disposing a piston and rod means within said hollow cylinder and slidably mounting the rod through the bottom of the cylinder;

(c) opening the hollow cylinder above the piston to the outside environment and lowering the payload in the water so that water pressure on the pisto acts to extend the rod from the cylinder;

(d) stopping the rod extension when the piston is in a lower portion of the hollow cylinder;

(e) closing the hollow cylinder before the bottom of the rod comes to rest on the water bottom;

(f) selectively releasing pressure from the hollow cylinder after the rod comes to rest on the water bottom so that the rod retracts with the cylinder to position said payload.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 including the step (a) pivotally mounting a foot to the bottom end of References Cited said rod.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bergeron 61--69 Mehl 61-69 Shatto 6169 ONeill et al.

Blending et al. 61-69 EARL I. WITMER, Primary Examiner. 

